Hilton Worldwide has ramped up its roll out of its upscale full service DoubleTree by Hilton brand in the Middle East in recent months, with six hotels now open and 13 more to come. Global head John P. Greenleaf reveals why now is the time for growth
For Hilton Worldwide in 2013, its claim to fame in the Middle East was undoubtedly the introduction of its luxury brands to the UAE, with two Waldorf Astoria resorts opening, firstly in Ras Al Khaimah and secondly on Palm Jumeirah, as well as the long-awaited Conrad Dubai.
In 2014, it’s been quite a different focus, with the upscale full service DoubleTree by Hilton brand taking the headlines. Two hotels have opened in Dubai, in Al Barsha and Jumeirah Beach Residence, a second hotel has opened in Ras Al Khaimah, and the brand debuted in Saudi Arabia. Management contracts have also been signed thick and fast, with 13 DoubleTree by Hilton hotels currently planned for the Middle East alone.
| Advertisement |
The expansion plans come in the wake of a brand relaunch in 2011, when the ‘by Hilton’ tag was added to the DoubleTree name. The brand had been US-based only until 2008, when it launched in Cambridge, UK, and the relaunch was very much aimed at enabling more global growth.
At the time, John P. Greenleaf, a marketer with a background in consumer packaged goods, was head of marketing for DoubleTree, before stepping sideways into brand performance for the Hilton Hotels and Resorts brand.
Eighteen months ago, Greenleaf was promoted to Global Head for DoubleTree by Hilton, based in the Hilton Worldwide global HQ in McLean, Virgina. Since then, he has been focused on “improvements” to the brand along the areas of food and beverage, core standards and service, as well as driving the development team to propel yet more expansion.
As a brand head, Greenleaf says he is “constantly listening and looking at the product itself”. He spoke to Hotelier during a brand leaders get together in London back in June and we met in the rooftop Sky Lounge on the 12th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London — Tower of London, which is a hive of activity due to an obvious combination of business and leisure travellers.
Greenleaf reflects on the similarities, and “sparkling differences” between his previous roles as product director for major companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Sara Lee, and his move into the hospitality sector.
“In many ways the process itself is very much the same, you are designing the product, adapting the product to changing consumer tastes, you have an audience you are identifying that you want to constantly test to make sure it’s still relevant for the product that you’re offering and you’re trying to find the most efficient way to spend the resources you have in order to drive more revenue,” he says.
“I think where the difference is pretty profound is in a business where you are selling a packaged good, the product is the same no matter where you go. So if I buy a bar of ivory soap here it is the same as it is in many places in the world. The way I view our product is if you look at this hotel with 600 rooms there are 600 different experiences in each of those rooms in this hotel every single night,” he explains, gesturing to the mixed clientele around us, some in business meetings, others relaxing with family and some clearly preparing for a night on the town.
Article continues on next page ...
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
